BUFFALO, N.Y. — An ongoing issue with scam calls has reached the Erie County Sheriff's Office again.
Some residents in Erie County have received scam phone calls from someone pretending to be a member of the Erie County Sheriff's Office.
The person making these calls claims to be named Sergeant Franklin from 'Warrants and Citations' and is informing recipients to report to the address 10 Delaware because they have outstanding warrants that need to be taken care of.
If you receive a call similar to this, do not provide any personal information over the phone such as your social security number, birth date, bank account information or more.
One sign that can help people tell if they are being scammed is if the caller states they are from the Erie County Sheriff's department because the actual one is referred to as an office.
The Sheriff's Office also rarely communicates over the phone as part of their policy but, they may reach out leaving information based on the serving process. A real member of the office would provide their name along with an Erie County phone number if truly calling.
"At no time do sworn members of the Erie County Sheriff's Office leave telephonic messages that are threatening, intimidating, or so vague as to leave the recipient questioning 'what could this be about?' " Erie County Sheriff's said in a release shared to the community.
Here are tips some more tips for signs of a scam:
- Scammers try to appear legitimate. They may pretend to be a person or an organization that you know. These criminals may use technology to change their phone number and caller ID, create fake websites or social media accounts or use other tactics to misrepresent themselves.
- Scammers claim there is a problem or prize. They may use fear tactics to convince you that you owe money, there is a problem with your account or a family member needs cash for an emergency. They may also try to entice you to provide personal information or pay a fee to receive a prize.
- Scammers pressure you to act immediately. They may use threats or other tactics to urge you to give personal information or money quickly before you have time to investigate their claims.
- Scammers demand a specific form of payment. They may insist that you send money through a wire transfer or gift card. They may also send a courier to your home to pick up the payment. Scammers may also send you a fake check in exchange for payment.
Immediately contact your local police department if you think that you are a target to a scam phone call.